How to Turn Your New Year's Resolutions Into Achievable Goals

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The Activist for Activists. Author of Make a Difference with Mental Health Activism and The Happy Activist: Journey the 5-Step Activism Path to Focus Your Passion and Change the World. Teacher, Psychologist, Environmental Activist, Animal Lover.

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Steps to Getting Started in Activism

In my 5-Step Activism Path, I outline the steps to getting started in activism.

Start by finding the cause closest to your heart. That cause will keep you focused and engaged. The first step to finding the cause closest to your heart is to create a vision of your ideal life. Another way to get clear is to understand more about the various movements.

Then take stock of the gifts you bring to activism. What skills and knowledge can you apply to your cause? And be clear about what motivates you.

There are many ways to make change in the world. What activism methods light your fire? If protesting and lobbying are not your cup of tea, explore how you can match your passion and gifts to the right activism method.

When you feel inspired to make change in the world, you want your efforts to have an impact. Find activism that works. Imagine your ideal activism opportunity and try to make it a reality.

Finally, to stay motivated so you can continue to make a difference for your cause, focus on these steps. Set SMART goals to support your efforts. Check your progress to ensure you are making a difference. Monitor your stress levels and use coping strategies if necessary. Finally, celebrate your accomplishments!

[Are you ready to get started?]

Make Your New Year’s Resolutions (Goals)

To make sure you get good results, set yourself up for success. Create New Year’s resolutions that keep you engaged. Jen Miller discusses why some resolutions may fail.

“It’s a resolution created based on what someone else (or society) is telling you to change. It’s too vague. You don’t have a realistic plan for achieving your resolution.”

The research is clear. SMART goals are one way to increase the odds of your success.

SMART Goal Template

The SMART acronym stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely.

Specific: Be clear about the behavior you will perform.

Measurable: Make it specific enough that you can measure whether you accomplished it.

Achievable: Make sure your behavior can be achieved.

Relevant: Ensure your behavior moves you forward in your cause.

Timely: List when will you perform this action.

Here is a short overview on setting SMART goals:

Goals are one aspect that guides good performance. Learn more about other ways you can set yourself up for success in How to Make Powerful Change in Your Activism.

Setting SMART Goals: Examples

Here is an example of a New Year’s Resolution in the SMART goal format.

Specific: Be clear about the behavior you will perform. “I will educate myself about reducing runoff into our city’s streams.”

Measurable: Make it specific enough that you can measure whether you accomplished it. “I will attend one informational meeting or workshop per month.”

Achievable: Make sure your behavior can be achieved. “This will work for my schedule. Weekly would be too frequent because of my college classes.”

Relevant: Ensure your behavior moves you forward in your cause. “This is a cause I’m passionate about, so I must educate myself.”

Timely: List when will you perform this action. “I will put together a list of events or workshops for the year.”